Smyrna, GA Environmental Rules: Stormwater Management (2026)
Key Facts
- Impervious surface trigger
- 5,000 square feet or greater of new impervious surface
- Land disturbance trigger
- One acre or greater
- Runoff reduction
- Retain the first 1.0 inch of rainfall
- Water quality fallback
- Remove at least 80 percent of TSS from a 1.2-inch storm
- Administrator
- City engineer or designee (Sec. 46-135)
- Appeal
- Written appeal to city administrator within 30 days
Summary
In the City of Smyrna, Georgia, post-construction stormwater standards apply to new development or redevelopment that adds 5,000 square feet or more of impervious surface or disturbs one acre or more, and to any commercial or industrial hotspot regardless of size. The city engineer administers the article, and designs must follow the Georgia Stormwater Management Manual.
This article applies to the following activities: ... (1)New development that creates or adds 5,000 square feet or greater of new impervious surface area or that involves land disturbing activity of one acre of land or greater;(2)Redevelopment (excluding routine maintenance and exterior remodeling) that creates, adds, or replaces 5,000 square feet or greater of new impervious surface area or that involves land disturbing activity of one acre or more;(3)New development and redevelopment if:a.Such new development or redevelopment is part of a subdivision or other common plan of development; andb.The sum of all associated impervious surface area or land disturbing activities that are being developed as part of such subdivision or other common plan of development meets or exceeds the threshold in subsections (1) and (2) above.(4)Any commercial or industrial new development or redevelopment, regardless of size, that is a hotspot land use as defined in this article; and(5)Linear transportation projects that exceed the threshold in subsections (1) or (2) above.
Full Breakdown
Article V of Chapter 46 was adopted by Ord. No. 2022-04 on March 7, 2022. Section 46-135 appoints the city engineer or a designee as administrator, and Sec. 46-134 requires compliance with the design standards, calculations and methods of the Georgia Stormwater Management Manual (GSMM). If the MS4 permit of the city conflicts with the article, the permit controls; if the article conflicts with the GSMM, the article controls.
Section 46-137 exempts emergency work by government agencies, utility trenching with related pavement replacement, government stormwater or restoration projects, repairs the administrator deems necessary, certain agricultural and silvicultural activity, and installations solely to implement Americans with Disabilities Act requirements.
Section 46-138 sets the standards. Runoff reduction must retain the first 1.0 inch of rainfall on the site to the maximum extent practicable. Where the practicability policy finds that infeasible, the system must remove at least 80 percent of the average annual post-development total suspended solids load for runoff from a 1.2-inch rainfall event. Stream channel protection requires 24-hour extended detention of the one-year, 24-hour storm. Post-development peak discharge must be at least ten percent less than pre-development for the two-year, ten-year and 25-year storms, and for the 50-year and 100-year storms. Primary trout waters allow no elevation of natural stream temperature, and secondary trout waters no elevation exceeding two degrees Fahrenheit.
Section 46-139 requires a stormwater management plan prepared under the supervision of a registered professional engineer or registered landscape architect, with the hydrologic analyses, system design and downstream analysis sealed by a professional engineer. Under Secs. 46-144 and 46-147, the applicant delivers as-built drawings and a signed inspection and maintenance agreement, which the owner records in the property record for every parcel on the site.
Violations & Fines
The Community Development Department issues a written notice of violation with remedial measures and a completion date (Sec. 46-150). If the work is not done, it can issue a stop work order, withhold a certificate of occupancy, suspend, revoke or modify the permit, or cite the violator into municipal court, where punishment follows Sec. 1-8. Each act and each day is a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
What projects trigger Smyrna stormwater standards?
How much rainfall must a site manage?
Who maintains the stormwater system after construction?
Can I appeal a stormwater decision?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Smyrna
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Stormwater Management in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Cobb County handle stormwater management.